Digital BW, The Print

I'm having a problem with Hextone B&W printing with my Epson 1280.  
I'm using Picture Window Pro 3.1h.  PWP supports the Roarke .ACV 
correction curves.

I follow the workflow, which is to convert the 8-bit greyscale file 
to 24-bit color, apply one of Paul Roarke's color correction curves, 
and print.  The printer starts normally, but the back-and-forth 
rhythm of the print heads gets gradually slower, there are a few 
stops and starts, and then the page ejects with only about a linear 
inch or two of printing on it.  What's on the page looks fine.  I 
then have to halt printing in the driver, which is stuck at the point 
where the page halted.  I've also gotten a red circle with a slash 
through it showing on the Epson driver window where it shows an 
animated page going through the printer.

I've tried this with two different greyscale files and two or three 
different curves, and I get the same result.

I had this problem once previously, when I took someone's advice and 
converted a greyscale file to 24-bit color, and tried to print it 
with black ink only.  I've never had the problem with color images.

Any ideas?

--Peter Klein
Seattle, WA